Taylor 812ce DLX 12 Fret - Nice job Taylor!
 

I had the privilege of visiting a local guitar shop yesterday, dragging my 87 year old mom along in the process, and played a wonderful Taylor 812ce DLX 12 Fret.

Other than the 100 series, I have not looked seriously at a Taylor in quite some time. I have been really happy in the Collings camp but, for some variety, picked up the Taylor and wow...just a great guitar.

Not sure if I played one that was uniquely special or not. But, the one I played yesterday has me winking and nodding at Taylor. Nice low end, just the right amount of overtones and took a pick with ease. Oh, and I prefer 1 11/16" nut width as a general rule, but the neck on this 12 fretter was a breeze to play.

If you get a chance, play one and let us know what you think! Or, if you own one, how do you like it?

Enjoy your Sunday AGF!:)

I've liked Taylors for a decade now and it's nice to have a Collings fan give a nod to the folks in El Cajon!

I have tremendous respect for Taylor. I like what they stand for. But, my ears have gravitated away from their tonal range...until now. :D

Perhaps a Taylor for you in the future? The revoiced 800s are a treat. Andy Powers did a great job with them. They also changed the stock strings from 80/20 to PBs.

I would love to find a used one but, that will probably be a stretch in the near future. The tone and comfort of the guitar is haunting me.:)

It's easily done: as a Collings fan of quite a few years, I too fell in love with a Taylor 12 fret 712e at almost first strum.

Good to know...I like that you had a similar reaction. I was so pleasantly surprised. I kept scratching my head. In a good way.;)

I stumbled into Ithaca Guitars this summer looking for something interesting, used and or cheap. My wife and 9 year old son were with me in a guitar shop for the first time.

While I was looking at a new mahogany Dreadnought Jr. I spied one of the new 712 12 frets. It was gorgeous and had amazing tone. Classic Taylor playability had me lusting after this thing. As I was paying for the D Jr. My wife said “why don’t you get both of them?”

I told her to look at the price tag on the Taylor. She said “ so what.....you work very hard honey and this is what you are into”. I looked at her and said “who are you? And what did you do with my wife?’”

Long story short.....I left with both guitars. Whenever I go into a guitar store now I bring them with me.

Lesson learned.

Great story! By chance, may I borrow your wife next time I go guitar shopping?:)

I need to borrow your wife too, but only if she comes with her own credit card!!!

I played a 14 fret 812 at Maple Street that I felt was one of the best, if not the best guitar in the entire store. It made me question my OM-28 purchase big time. I still think about purchasing one.

FWIW, I don't have the DLX model; but I love my 812 12 Fret- size & playablilty. (Oh, and it sounds OK too...!) :D

Taylor has it's pluses and minuses in almost every category. They are certainly masters at marketing, particularly new concepts that might have been wholly rejected were other companies to introduce them. Perhaps being the "new kid on the block" has allowed them some liberties that Gibson and Martin would not have been afforded. But I think perhaps it's painting with too broad a brush when one attributes a specific "tonal range" to the whole line when much of the "undesirable" tone can be modified simply with a different set of strings. Even Taylor themselves have been playing with that notion by "encouraging" Elixir to develop their 12-56 and 13-53 gauges of strings.

I might also note that what we desire in tone is largely based expectations based on past tonal precedents and what we've gotten used to hearing. Taylor seems to have shifted the tone paradigm creating a new tonal standard and Martin, if you haven't noticed, is following suit with the tonal spectrum of their new models and revoiced iconic models (i.e. the 2017 D28).

JMO

I've heard many Taylor guitars over the years and they never did much for me. Then I came across one of their recently re voiced upper end models and had to have it. I am now a proud owner of a 818e.

I think Taylor's better stuff is now on par with Martin's better stuff, people just don't know about it yet.

Taylor is definitely upping the game!

K
Andy Powers has made some huge positive changes for Taylor guitars.
You should check out the all mahogany 522ce 12 fret. Pretty sure you would bring it home.

d